PWDs report on lack of access to public places

MARKING the Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation National Awareness week, people with disabilities (PWDs) in Oshana Region, last Friday handed in a report on inaccessibility of buildings and services to the Governor of Oshana Region, Klemens Kashuupulwa.

Acting Governor of Oshana Region, Loth Kuushomwa accepted the petition on his behalf. The report says that it is mainly because of inaccessibility to buildings and services that PWDs lag behind in development and that this inhibits them from empowering themselves.They further called upon owners of public places to make their premises accessible to people with disabilities.The report was compiled with the assistance of the Rehabilitation Department of the Ministry of Health and Social Services in Oshana region.A group of researchers led by Ndapewa Petrus visited various public institutions in the area including schools and government of?ces and found that the majority of them are inaccessible to PWDs.”Access to offices, classrooms and toilets, is only possible if a person is lifted.We do not want to lift anymore and we call upon the Ministry of Education to act as soon as possible,” the report said.Facilities at Ongwediva Town Council and the Ongwediva Women’s Centre are the best in the region and staff was found to be friendly and understanding towards PWDs at these places.The Multipurpose Youth Centre at Oshakati also failed the accessibility test.Penombili Nghishitongo, whose group visited Ou Nick Health Centre said the clinic is totally inaccessible to wheelchair users.A cleaner has to assist them into the building.He said that despite this, staff attitude was very good.At Ongwediva and Oshakati there is no parking for car owners with wheelchairs.Mathew Niingo who, with his group assessed road use in the report, said that roads are completely unusable to the wheelchair-bound.Public transport is not accessible to wheelchair users and disabled people in general, while transport owner’s attitudes towards people with disabilities are very negative.Niingo said that charges for people with disabilities are often doubled because they need to be assisted.The report concluded that PWDs are not consulted when considering roads and transport infrastructure.The report says that it is mainly because of inaccessibility to buildings and services that PWDs lag behind in development and that this inhibits them from empowering themselves.They further called upon owners of public places to make their premises accessible to people with disabilities.The report was compiled with the assistance of the Rehabilitation Department of the Ministry of Health and Social Services in Oshana region.A group of researchers led by Ndapewa Petrus visited various public institutions in the area including schools and government of?ces and found that the majority of them are inaccessible to PWDs.”Access to offices, classrooms and toilets, is only possible if a person is lifted.We do not want to lift anymore and we call upon the Ministry of Education to act as soon as possible,” the report said.Facilities at Ongwediva Town Council and the Ongwediva Women’s Centre are the best in the region and staff was found to be friendly and understanding towards PWDs at these places.The Multipurpose Youth Centre at Oshakati also failed the accessibility test.Penombili Nghishitongo, whose group visited Ou Nick Health Centre said the clinic is totally inaccessible to wheelchair users.A cleaner has to assist them into the building.He said that despite this, staff attitude was very good.At Ongwediva and Oshakati there is no parking for car owners with wheelchairs.Mathew Niingo who, with his group assessed road use in the report, said that roads are completely unusable to the wheelchair-bound.Public transport is not accessible to wheelchair users and disabled people in general, while transport owner’s attitudes towards people with disabilities are very negative.Niingo said that charges for people with disabilities are often doubled because they need to be assisted.The report concluded that PWDs are not consulted when considering roads and transport infrastructure.